‘Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Erik ten Hag will freeze Jadon Sancho out after the forward called the Dutchman a liar on social media. Ferdinand has advised Sancho to either prepare himself to be a bench-warmer at United or join a Saudi Arabian club.
Sancho hit out at Manchester United manager after Arsenal snub
Sancho, who joined the Red Devils for a £73 million ($92.08 million) fee in the summer of 2021, was dropped from his team’s squad for their trip to Arsenal on Sunday (September 3). Coach Ten Hag claimed that the Englishman missed the 3-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium due to his sub-par “training performance”. Shortly after Ten Hag’s press conference, Sancho took to social media, defending his training performance, suggesting that he did not miss the trip due to sporting reasons.
The former Borussia Dortmund man wrote (via The Daily Mail):
“Please don’t believe everything you read! I’ll not allow people to say things that are completely untrue. I have conducted myself in training very well this week.
“I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!”
He concluded by adding:
“All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to the team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and I am grateful to do so, which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!”
Ferdinand advises Sancho to find a Saudi club to ensure regular football
Ferdinand believes such an outburst will prove to be costly and might keep Sancho on the Manchester United bench for the rest of the season. The former England international believes Sancho should try to join a Saudi Arabian club to guarantee regular football in the 2023-24 season.
Speaking on the matter on his Rio Presents Five YouTube channel, Ferdinand said:
“There’s no way Jadon is putting out a statement like that if he hasn’t in his own eyes performed well.
“That’s the difference as well. On his chart, Jadon [might think] – ‘I’ve trained alright’, but the manager might have a different standard. There are two ways this ends. There’s only one window open now and that’s Saudi. Or you’re on the bench or not getting in the squad for the rest of the season.”
Unlike the rest of Europe, the Saudi transfer window did not close on September 1. Clubs belonging to the Saudi Pro League can sign players until September 7.
Sancho has thus far played 82 games for United across competitions, scoring just 12 times. His contract with the club runs until June 2026.
